I planned to do some family visits in the
morning, but on my way to Edaga Arbi I pass the Azmaro Pensione. I passed
the small hotel a few days ago, and was invited for a short chat, because
the hotel is managed / owned by a family with links to friends
of mine living in Amsterdam. And as the Red Sea Pension is closed, the
Azmaro Pensione might
be a good candidate to replace the Red Sea Pension on our Eritrean information
pages / hotel section.

I am welcome to review the hotel. Friendly
staff shows me the two story, four wing hotel. Facilities are basic: 16
rooms with shared toilets and showers in every wing. All very modern and
clean. I ask the manager how the visitors will find his hotel, and about
the occupancy rate of the hotel. Proud he convinces me of the fact that
the Sudanese know where to find good accomodation for a reasonable price.
And so close - or even within - the center of Asmara.

Nevertheless
I add the address data to my notebook, as I think the hotel is a good
candidate to replace the Red Sea Pension.

In the small lobby of the hotel three women
and a distinguished guest are drinking coffee (the typical Eritrean coffee
ceremony). I am invited to join them. They ask me from what country I
came, what brought me to Eritrea, and of course what I think about Eritrea
and the Independence Day celebrations. No need to write down the
details of my review of the celebrations. It was fantastic!

The only thing that worries me is the fact
that I meet so many happy people in Eritrea celebrating their 25th Independence Day,
and so many unhappy Eritreans in The Netherlands escaping their country.
It changes the conversation into a political lesson of the distinguished guest.
Basically it is a sharp condemnation of
the United States and their role in the world's geo politics.

Watch the world for internal armed
conflicts and it was the US that played a major role at the eve of the
conflict. Removal of a dictator resulted in civil wars, breeding nests for
ISIS or total anarchy. Here is the brief story of Eritrean history and the
US geopolitical policy from 1952 up to Eritrea's 25th Independence Day:

'From the
point of view of justice, the opinions of the Eritrean people must
receive consideration. Nevertheless the strategic interests of the United
States in the Red Sea basin and considerations of security and world peace
make it necessary that the country has to be linked with our ally,
Ethiopia.'

1952 words of US Secretary of State,
John Foster Dulles, resulting in forceful federation of Eritrea with
Ethiopia.

1953-1958 The US arms Ethiopia
in exchange for military bases in Eritrea.

1961-1991 Thirty years
independence war. 65,000 Eritreans died / gave their life to restore
justice and independence.

1993 Independence declared on
May 24 after april 1993 referendum on Eritrea's political status.

1998-2000 Border incidents
escalate into a border
war. Ethiopia expels 76,000 Ethiopians of Eritrean
origin. More than one million Eritrean civilians are displaced before a
ceasefire is reached.

2001 UN peacekeepers patrol
the border as the dispute goes to international arbitration.

2002-2016 Ethiopia refuses to
give up their 'rights' on the disputed border territories stating that the
EEBC conclusions are 'unfair' *). Ethiopia is challenging Eritrea by regular
excursions on Eritrean territory. Strategic interests of the United States
in the Red Sea basis is the US argument to support Ethiopia.The US proves
to be an obstacle to the implementation of the EEBC conclusions. It was US
calling the UN on imposing sanctions on Eritrea to force the country to
kneel down. The rest of
the world does not care. Most of them even cannot point the location of
Eritrea on the globe.

2015-2016 Many Eritreans leave
their country: Addis Abeba > Sudan > Lybia > Italy. The formal
arguments are the indefinite military conscription and the threat of a of a return to conflict with
neighboring Ethiopia.
The informal arguments: poverty, going for the easy money they will
receive in the EU, attracted by the success stories of Eritreans that
migrated to Europe, shared by modern social media. Sending out their
children to the EU proves to be a good investment, as the kids will
generate funds in the EU to support their parents in Eritrea, and assist
others to migrate to the EU taking advantage of welcoming family reunion
programs.

From the point of justice, the
opinions of the Eritrean people must receive consideration. Nevertheless
the strategic interest of the United States make it necessary that Eritrea
kneels down, and accepts Ethiopian hegemony in East Africa.

Result: around 200,000
Eritreans, or Ethiopians faking they are Eritreans leave their country.
Begging for a smartphone from their Diaspora families, opening a Facebook
account, checking the best options on the internet, and e-mailing, urging
their Diaspora families to finance their trip, sometimes blackmailing
their families telling them 'being kidnapped and tortured by Libyan smugglers'.
When they arrive in the EU, it will help them to exaggerate their situation
in Eritrea, or add some outright lies to support their request for asylum
in the EU.

The world is mourning the many
Eritreans that have drowned in the Mediterranean. Virtually nobody in the
Western World mourned when 65,000 Eritreans lost their lives between 1961
and 1991 to restore
justice and independence. Virtually nobody in the Western World mourned
about the victims of the 1998-2000 border wars. Virtually nobody in the
Western World care for the 6,000,000 Eritreans in Eritrea who suffer from
US geopolitical interests, UN sanctions, and the 'no war no peace'
stalemate.

Spaghetti & Pizza House - Harnet Avenue Asmara Eritrea.

Pensione Azmaro - Seraye Street Asmara Eritrea.

Eritrean Electric Corporation - Asmara Eritrea.

Alpha Builing - Warsay Street Asmara Eritrea.

Berhe Aiba Hotel & Night Club - Warsay Street Asmara Eritrea.

Road to Acrya - Edaga Hamus Asmara Eritrea.

Heavy duty private bus (Eribus Asmara) - Edaga Hamus Asmara Eritrea.

Barka Secondary School - Qohayto Street Asmara Eritrea.

Fiat Tagliero fuel station - Sematat Avenue Asmara Eritrea.

Ministry of Education - Harnet Avenue Asmara Eritrea.

Red Sea Trading Corporation - Asmara
Eritrea.

*) December 12, 2000 Eritrea and Ethiopia signed a peace agreement in Algiers,
after a 2 1/2-year border war.

Article 4, sub article 15 reads as follows: “The parties agree that the delimitation and
demarcation of the Commission shall be final and binding. Each party shall respect the border so determined as well as territorial
integrity and sovereignty of the other party”.

In September 2003 Ethiopia's Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, formally informed the Security Council that
Ethiopia rejected the decisions of the International Boundary Commission (arbitration of the International Court in the Hague). He declared the
proposed 1 000 km international border drafted by the commission as "null and void".